Womens Rights In The World Form 1950 To Today

Women's Rights Throughout the World from 1950 to Today

Women's rights can be defined as a woman's entitlement to live as an equal human being (Barry). The manipulation of the rights women can have can be seen around the world in 1950 and even today in pre-industrialized societies. In pre-industrialized cultures the standard of living is lower for the entire country. Naturally, the patriarchal society would try to repress women's rights even further than that of an industrialized country. "Industrialization accelerates the availability of education and the international human rights' declarations recognize that everyone has the right to education for the full development of the human personality" (Barry).

In the world today, literacy continues to be a significant indicator of women's subordinate status. With literacy comes opportunities for jobs, higher education, and independence. "According to the United Nation's development program's Ð''Human Development Report, 1991' one half of rural women (ages 15+) in developing countries are illiterate" (Barry). In many pre-industrialized countries, marital feudalism is evident because of the traditional lifestyles of its natives. Marital feudalism involves women becoming the legal property of their husbands. In pre-industrial societies as well as in the United States before the Woman's Rights Movement, women's right were very limited. Women could not own or inherit property, sign contracts, sue or be sued, divorce, or gain child custody (Barry). Most women were denied admission to colleges and many rewarding occupations. Women could find work as teachers, seamstresses, factory workers, and domestic servants. The modest wages women received belonged to their husbands or their fathers if they still lived at home (DuPont).

During warfare, women's rights are further suppressed. In 1930 Germany, women were considered unfit for anything but bearing "aran children" or children that would grow up to be soldiers. Women and feminists who objected to this were sent to concentration camps to be slaughtered with the other prisoners of war (Frank 11).

During WWII (specifically in Axis Power countries), with out the liberties of democracy there was no freedom or equality or the ideas of women's rights (Frank 10). Many women are raped and killed as a battle strategy. A prime example of this is on December 13, 1937 the Nanking Massacre or the Rape of Nanking between Japan and China hundreds of thousands of women were raped, killed, and captured for use as "comfort women" as soldiers pillaged through Nanking (Frank 12). "Massive rapes of women during war, a deliberate military strategy of conquest, dishonors women in traditional societies. Where considered properties of their fathers or husbands, raped women are scorned and abandoned as not suitable wives" (Barry).

As industry grows so does the value of education, with that the number of philosophers and activists. In 1848 the first feminists speak out against the unjust treatment of women in the United States. Jane Adams, an important activist at the time, campaigned for better housing for women, and eight hour working law, women's suffrage, and against child labor. In addition she was the President of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and won and Noble Peace Prize in 1931 for her life work (Davis). One editorial spoke regarding feminist speakers at the Seneca Falls Convention; "the most shocking and unnatural incident ever recorded in the history of womanity" (DuPont). Unfortunately, the momentum of the women's movement was shared with other civil rights parties until after the Civil War. Activist, such as Susan B. Anthony, founded the National Woman's Loyalty League and gathered over 100,000 signatures on petitions in support of the 13th amendment to end slavery. This act demonstrated the increase in political awareness of women (DuPont).

World War I was a turning point for the women's movement in the United States. Women who were not working as nurses, were forced to do the jobs that the men left behind to join the army. This opened up many opportunities for the women's cause by providing the chance to show they were capable of performing the work as well as men. Woodrow Wilson recognized this ability in women and urged the senate to pass the women's suffrage amendment in 1918: "We have made